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Under the increasing global energy demand, the new European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 encourages combinations of energy production systems compatible with biodiversity conservation; however, in photovoltaic parks, panels shadowing the effects on soil health and biodiversity are still unknown. This study (location: Northern Italy) aimed to evaluate the effect of ground-mounted photovoltaic (GMPV) systems on soil arthropod biodiversity, considering two parks with different vegetation management: site 1—grassland mowed with tractor; site 2—grassland managed with sheep and donkeys. Three conditions were identified in each park: under photovoltaic panel (row), between the panel rows (inter-row), and around the photovoltaic plant (control). The soil pH and organic matter (SOM), soil arthropod community, biodiversity, and soil quality index (e.g., QBS-ar index) were characterised. Differences between the two GMPVs were mainly driven by the SOM content (higher values where grazing animals were present). No differences were observed in site 1, even if a high heterogeneity of results was observed for the soil biodiversity parameters under the panels. In site 2, SOM and pH, as well as arthropods biodiversity and QBS-ar, showed low values in the row. Soil fauna assemblages were also affected by ground-mounted panels, where Acarina, Collembola, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera showed the lowest density in the row. This study suggests that ground-mounted solar panels had significant effects on below-ground soil fauna, and was more marked depending on the system management. Furthermore, the results obtained for the inter-row were similar to the control, suggesting that the area between the panel rows could be considered a good hotspot for soil biodiversity.

This is the problem of the 8th International Experimental Physics Olympiad (EPO8). The task of the EPO8 is to determine Planck constant ħh/2 using the given set-up with LED. If you have an idea how to do it, do it and send us the result; skip the reading of the detailed step by step instructions with increasing difficulties. We expect the participants to follow the suggested items – they are instructive for physics education in general. Only the reading of historical remarks given in the first section can be omitted during the Olympiad without loss of generality. Participants should try solving as much tasks as they can without paying attention to the age categories: give your best.

The effective mass of a magnon in a neodymium magnet is evaluated using Bloch temperature dependence of spontaneous magnetization. We used the Hall effect magnetometer and thermo-couple thermometer for measuring of the temperature of the water in which the encapsulated commercial magnet is immersed. The experiment can be repeated in every school and methodological remarks for experimental data processing are given with great detail and attention. The purpose of the paper is to illustrate the simple relation between the quantum spectrum of magnons and the easily measured magnetic field of a permanent magnet., Second version manuscript - comparison with previous papers, 7 pages, 4 figures, 21 Refs

We developed "Family Pathology", a Web-based system that allows recording and evaluating the clinical data of a patient and his/her relatives. The goal is to enable a physician to identify not only an occurred disease and the prescribed medications, but also its possible recurrence within the patients family in order to highlight possible genealogical pathologies and risk factors.